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Our health is one of our most valuable assets.When we’re healthy, we can spend higher quality time with our loved ones, can move around easily, and enjoy going out and having fun.When we’re feeling under the weather, or have been living an unhealthy lifestyle, it’s difficult to find the motivation to do anything.

Perhaps you were in great shape in the past, but over the course of a few months, or years, your health has started to slip.How do you go about getting healthy and feeling younger?Use these simple strategies to put a smile back on your face and add that spring back into your step.

Adjust your Posture

It sounds simple, but even just sitting with better posture will change the way your body feels.Straighten your back, pull your shoulders back, and keep your head up.Learn to get in the habit of paying attention to your posture throughout the day.To get started, it’s helpful to stand against a wall and flatten your back against it.It’s ok if it’s difficult at first.After years of bad posture, you’re retraining your body to maintain the form it’s made to be in.

Get Moving and Increase Mobility

Even if you aren’t an athlete, it’s important to move around each day to get the blood flowing.Take a walk around the neighborhood.Walk up and down a few flights of stairs.Do air squats in the comfort of your own living room.By getting daily exercise, you improve your circulation, heart health, digestion, and strength.Exercise is one of the absolute best things you can do for your body to look and feel younger.

Socialize Every Day

Humans are social animals.For our entire history, we’ve lived in communities where we have regular interaction with our peers.In this day and age, it’s easy to live an isolated lifestyle and go through the usual daily routine.Even if your friends and loved ones don’t live nearby, make it a point to get out and socialize every day.Start by making small talk with the people around you.Strike up a conversation with someone while waiting in line at the grocery store.When in doubt, ask questions.People love talking about themselves, and asking a question is a sure way to get the conversation going.

Eat a Healthy Diet

The food we eat directly affects the way that we feel.When we eat a diet full of sugar, processed carbs, preservatives, and and chemicals, it leads to weight gain, moodiness, and poor health.On the other hand, when our diet is full of vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats, our body is able to repair itself.We feel younger, look fitter, and grow stronger.

Feed your Body What It’s Missing

Go and get a blood test.Often times, when we feel sluggish, it may be the result of micronutrient deficiencies.It’s amazing how quickly you start to feel young again when your body has the proper balance of nutrients.There’s no magic pill, or end-all-be all, but starting with a blood test will show you what’s healthy, and where you need to make improvements.

Practice Daily Gratitude

There’s an ancient Zen philosophy, that says “learn only to be content.”It’s the secret to lifelong happiness.Be content with what you have, rather than focused on what you want.Practice gratitude by saying three things that you’re thankful for every day.They can be simple.I’m grateful for the great weather.I’m thankful for a cup of coffee in the morning.I’m thankful for my loving family.See how easy that is?

Our lovely fall weather seems to be wasting away quickly into plain ol’ yucky rain and pre-winter crud. There is a good reason bears and other creatures go into hibernation during this kind of weather. To help you not fall into hibernation mode and to make the most of even the dreariest weather, we have come up with some great motivational tips to stick with your fitness regimen in the months to come.

Getting up out of your warm flannel sheets can be a bear when the house is cold. Set your programmable thermostat to heat up the house 15 minutes before you wake up so that you can get up and get going with one less excuse to hold you back. If your thermostat isn’t programmable, investing in a new one is just a few dollars and could just be the thing to keep you going through the winter…in addition to the energy savings you will see!

Set out all of your workout clothes, water bottle, and gear the night before. Pack your gym bag, set up your yoga mat, dumbbells, kettle balls, or Bosu ball so everything is ready to go and calling your name.

Write up a variety of messages on colorful slips of paper with reminders of how good your feel after a workout, pics of yourself at your fitness best, motivational quotes, or the many health benefits of working out. Whatever you know are YOUR greatest reasons for working out, jot those down. In the morning, pull one slip out at random and surprise yourself with your “Workout Inspiration of the Day”

If it is the cold weather that is keeping you inside, have your coziest hoodie waiting to go in the dryer and warm it up just before leaving the house for the gym.

Re-create morning sunlight with a Wake-up-light to help set your inner clock to get moving even when it is still dark these winter mornings. Setting your body clock to get going these dark mornings is a huge help.

Plan your workout breakfast the night before so you are less likely to cast about for something to eat in the morning. When you start off your day in “healthy mode” you are more likely to continue it by not skipping out on your workout.

The night before, check out a few workout videos on YouTube for some fresh inspiration. Just one new idea is all it takes to get you excited to try it out the next morning.

Get a workout buddy. Even if some days your schedules prevent you from working out together, just agreeing to a text check in and knowing your partner will be counting on you to also check in, will keep you both going strong.

Print up a pic of a great holiday outfit you will reward yourself with, that awesome new bike, or the entry form for that spring triathlon or Tough Mudder race you have been meaning to enter. Keeping your eyes on the goal (literally) can keep up your motivation and focus

Whatever floats your boat (especially for you kayakers); learn to adopt the tricks and motivational tips that keep you in the game and on top of your workouts these dark, cold months ahead. Let us know what motivational tricks work for you!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are blessed with a lovely, long fall harvest season with our temperate climate. Many veggies are readily available locally and organic and it is a great opportunity to stock up, try new recipes, and enjoy the bounty.

Here are some fantastic fall recipes that are friendly to your fitness regimen, as well!

Nothing says fall faster than soups. This simple, yet hearty Autumn Chicken Stew features some of fall’s top offerings: carrots, apples and parsnips. This one is easy to prep the ingredients the night before so that it is all ready to put together the following evening ready for dinner. In addition to its high vitamin A count, this soup is low calorie, low in cholesterol, and appropriate for diabetics. Serve with cheese sandwiches on the side for a full meal.

One of the healthiest squash you can try is pumpkin. It is action packed with beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and lots of antioxidants. So start those brisk fall mornings off right with Spiced Pumpkin Maple Baked Oatmeal, it is high fiber, gluten free, good for your cholesterol, easy on the budget, preps really well the night before, allowing you to spoil your family and yourself with the yummy scents and flavors of spices and pumpkin with a hearty, warm morning meal.

This oh-so-easy-to make Roasted Fall Vegetables recipe takes full advantage of the abundance of organic squash and root vegetables available. The red potatoes are a great source of iron and vitamin C. Rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, the butternut squash makes this a winning side dish to any entrée.

The abundance of apples each fall is a great opportunity for cooks everywhere. Put your fall apples to good use with this Apple Sangria recipe for your fall gatherings. Lower sugar content in white wine keeps this one a bit more in the “healthy” category than most drink recipes. Everything in moderation, right? 😉

In the comments section below, share some of your favorite fall recipes and how they are helping you in your healthy and fit lifestyle.

One doesn’t need a degree in nutrition to know that calcium is important in our diet. But maybe all the “reasons” have gotten a bit fuzzy in our brains over the years? Well here is a refresher on why calcium is important for bone health, the various “drains” on calcium in our bodies, and some ideas on getting more calcium into your diet.

Calcium is a key in preventing and treating osteoporosis as well as other health benefits. Other than our bones, calcium is critical to many other functions in the body. It is used by our hearts for healthy blood vessels and regulates blood pressure, proper nerve and muscle function, and for adequate blood clotting.

As we get older, we also lose bone density. The natural aging process causes our bodies to lose bone density at faster rates. However, even in our aging years, our bodies can and do build new bone. The trick is to adopt strategies to increase bone density faster than it is lost.

Individuals who had low calcium intake throughout their lives also have lower bone mass and higher fracture rates as they aged. The vast majority of people in the US do not consume enough calcium needed for growing and maintaining healthy bones. The recommended calcium intakes in milligrams for various age groups are as follows:

51-70 year old males: 1,000 mg/day

51-70 year old females: 1,200 mg/day

Although many dietary guidelines state 1,200 mg/day as the maximum, rheumatologists recommend that those with a high risk of osteoporosis or over the age of 70 can take up to 1,500 mg/day. Too much of a good thing can be…too much of a good thing, however. Over 2,500 mg/day can cause kidney stones and other health issues.

Calcium drains: Even for those who take enough daily calcium, there are factors that not only inhibit calcium absorption, but also deplete our bodies of calcium.

High levels of protein and sodium in the diet can cause the body to increase secretion of calcium through the kidneys.

Women in menopause experiencing hormonal change begin to lose bone density at a faster rate. Bones become more brittle as they naturally lose mass.

People with lactose intolerance may not be taking extra steps to insure enough calcium intakes.

Neglecting to consume vitamin D along with calcium inhibits absorption of calcium. The recommended daily does for vitamin D is 3,000-5,000 IU. Check this out for an explanation as to why the recommended dosage has increased. Better yet, get out in the sun for 15-20 minutes a day and gain your vitamin D3 directly into your bloodstream. If you will be out longer than 20 minutes, put on your sunscreen after that time.

Consuming colas and other carbonated drinks: The Phosphoric acid as well as the high sugar levels in colas dissolve calcium in your system.

Calcium and exercise: We know that resistance training strengthens our bones, right? But resistance training combined with strenuous endurance exercise such cycling or running can leave the blood with depleted calcium levels. To combat this, athletes who take their calcium supplements 30 minutes prior to a workout experience less of a decrease in calcium blood levels. So by no means should you decrease your workouts, just workout smart and take your calcium before hand.

So now you have your why’s, why not’s, and how’s on calcium, it is up to you to determine your when’s. What tricks and tips do you take to sneak more calcium in your diet? Do you have any favorite recipes?

You may have found yourself at a place in your workouts where you are not feeling as challenged as you once were, or perhaps you just want to turbo-charge things and see more results faster. If this is the case, then increasing the intensity and method in your workouts is for you. The trick is to intensify your workout routine safely so that you don’t risk injury that would side line you and defeat the whole purpose of increasing your workouts.

Combo Training: Combo training is when you combine an assortment of aerobic exercises and resistance training. This a very demanding form of intensity training and can lead to over training and/or injury, so use caution and even a personal trainer to coach you through until you gain a safe understanding of how to proceed.

You will perform a resistance training set and follow it with a short burst on moderate intensity aerobics for 30 seconds. You then repeat for another two sets. For example, perform a set of squats, and then do a 30 second burst of burpees, and then back to a set of squats/burpees. This cycle should be done in three “sets” (squats/burpees as one set). Combo training really torches fat and whips you into great cardio conditioning quickly. Here is a sample You Tube workout to get you started.

Supersets: If you are weight training, one method to increase intensity and strength results is known as Super Sets. A superset is when two exercises are completed in sequence without a break in between them. It is important to pair up two agonist/antagonist muscle groups in the set pairs. For example: quads/hamstrings or back/chest. This technique will noticeably increase muscle strength and result in your ability to train at higher intensity levels.

You will be more efficient if you set up agonist/antagonist stations before you begin so that once starting, you can go from pair sets to the next station with only a 30 second rest in between. Here is a great YouTube superset workout to get an idea of what is involved.

HIIT Training for runners: Runners who desire to increase both speed and endurance, do so with interval or HIIT training. It is important to already have solid base of mileage as well as speed work before starting this type of training.

Run nearly full out for 10 to 60 seconds, followed by a rest/walk (or jog) period. The rest period should be one to four times the length of the high intensity burst. Essentially, your rest period is just enough so that you are recovered to do the next repeat at the same speed with good form. This challenges your cardio system to get stronger and pushes oxygenated blood through your body, making it available for you muscles. Be sure you are warmed up and flexible before starting these workouts.

This same idea of HIIT training can be applied to cyclists, rowers, and even hiking.

Mixing it up challenges your body and can jump start you out of that plateau or even boredom you may have hit in your workouts. At the very least, you will find yourself in better conditioning! Do you have a tried-and-true method to intensify your workout routine safely? Please share it in the comments area below! We’d love to hear from you and share your experience with the Fit After Fifty community.

When starting a new fitness program or even going for a change in your current plan, oftentimes people wonder the benefits/drawbacks to doing a fitness regimen on your own. There really are pluses to both approaches, but it helps if you consider who you are, what motivates you, and where you have already been in your history of working out.

Before you decide if you would benefit from a personal trainer or an independent plan on your own, it is important to ask yourself some questions to determine the best fit for you.

Are you not a self starter and need a certain level of motivation that you have a hard time finding on your own?

Are finances a factor?

Is your schedule such that you can adhere to the schedule offered in a gym or with a private trainer?

Do you belong to a gym where personal training is either included in your membership or offered at a discounted rate for members?

Do you work well on your own, but want fresh, new idea and challenges that you typically don’t have the time to search for and implement?

Are you training for a specialized event (Tri, Iron man, Cross fit competition) and could benefit from a trainer with that specialization in their professional certification/experience?

If you answered yes to many of the questions above, then maybe a personal trainer is a good option for you at this time. Keep in mind, people can rotate in and out of scheduled time with trainers and can employ them on a weekly basis, to even just once quarterly. When I was working out with a trainer regularly, I contracted with her on a weekly basis with a specific event in mind. Once I got through that event, I then continued with her once a quarter to shake up my routine and clean up any bad habits.

Some people know that meeting with a trainer once a week or month is needed to keep them on goal and moving forward.

Benefits of working with a trainer:

Certification and current training, especially in your area of focus (training for Triathlons, etc.)

Fresh ideas and approaches to get you out of that workout rut so you can continue to see results.

Motivation and accountability much like a coach to push your butt when you need to be pushed

A trainer who is an independent contractor can have the flexibility of schedule and location to meet you when and where it works best for the both of you.

Benefits of working out independently:

Set your schedule and workout locations as is best for you, no coordinating with another person’s calendar required.

Save considerably on costs paying for a trainer.

You are a self starter and love looking into new workout ideas and starting new plans on your own.

You have a specific event or training method in mind and it is difficult to find a trainer who is skilled and advanced enough for your needs. You can fit that bill yourself.

Regardless of whether you decide to work with a trainer or plan and execute your workouts on your own, the important thing is to find an approach that works for you and keeps you in the game and active, living life with passion and health!

While many things unite us as Americans, one factor is not to be proud of… Americans are struggling in increasing numbers with body weight. We are not just talking obesity, but just plain old being overweight. The statistics do not look good for us:

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, 35.7% of American adults (aged 20 and older) are obese (BMI 30 and above) — up from about 23% in the early 1990s.

Two thirds of Americans claim they are on a diet, yet less than 20% achieve not only successful weight loss, but also fail to maintain the loss

Over the last 50 years, Americans went from 24.3% of the population classified as overweight, to over 35% currently.

Elizabeth Kolbert writes an excellent article in The New Yorker examining the why’s of how we all got here and how we have changed culturally, as a result of all this weight gain. One subject that sells more books, supplements, and nutrition programs than probably all others combined is our collective desire to lose weight. We can look at all the reasons we are gaining weight, and Kolbert’ s article does a good job of that. But for our purposes here, we are going to understand why we tend to fail to keep the weight off.

In a very simplistic nutshell, we gain weight when we consume more calories than what our bodies’ burn off. There are many contributing factors that make that process more of a challenge for some than others such as thyroid issues, genetic predisposition, and life style factors.

In order to be successful at weight loss, it is critical to pinpoint your pitfalls and be determined in your strategies for a successful approach. Examining our lifestyle habits and how those detract from a successful weight loss program is important to success. When we understand how metabolism works then we can make choices to improve that. Let’s examine some of the top reasons why most diets fail:

Looking at a diet as a temporary short term solution to a weight issue. Those who succeed at weight loss do so with a lifestyle approach for long term health. It is key to make dietary changes to support good health long after the weight is off

An inaccurate view on activity and calories burned: In order to lose 1 lb. per week, cut your calories by 500/day. Achieving that by exercise alone or diet alone is not only unrealistic, but defeating and can be dangerous. Increase both your moderate and vigorous types of exercise, track steps with a pedometer to help you take more of them, and also reduce your calories consumed.

Adopting too drastic or strict of a diet that triggers headaches, mood swings, irritability and brain fog. Feeling cruddy is an indicator of a poor diet rather than a healthy one which is going to yield a lifestyle change.

A diet that actually lowers your metabolism: Drastically cutting back on calories and also teaching yourself to “go hungry” slows your metabolism down and throws your body into fat storage mode. Light snacking or smaller, healthy meals every two hours is a more successful approach.

Emotional eating: this is a very complex topic, but check out this article to gain an understanding of how we subscribe emotional cues to foods can be the most powerful factor in attaining weight loss success.

Getting inadequate sleep: People with fewer than six hours of sleep at night increase the body’s production of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite. Lack of sleep also increases cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which leads to weight gain.

Identify the “diet fails” that tend to get in the way of your weight loss success, implement strategies to counter act those, and you are on your way to success…and a fitter, healthier YOU!

This generation of boomers is the fittest and most health conscious one to hit our 50’s, yet. Because we are the first generation to hit this season with this level of fitness, we are also the only aging generation to be facing this second half of life with more health to experience the richness life has to offer. As a result, we are also in a unique position to challenge and change society’s misconceptions of what it means to age. Sometimes the misconceptions are our own roadblocks and we may need a little help in getting over them. It starts with identifying your roadblocks to getting fit for 50+:

Feeling self conscious around younger, fitter people at the gym. Just remind yourself you are there and making a difference in your health today!

Feeling intimidated with gym equipment or classes not yet tried. Keep in mind this is a great opportunity to learn something new, which keeps your brain fit, as well.

The “some day” syndrome or better known as procrastination. I will get to it some day. That day is now, GO FOR IT!!

“It takes a lot of hard work to change my fitness level”. It certainly does, but it is well worth it!

Don’t let those or any other road blocks hold you back. Consider some of the following people who may inspire you in breaking down those roadblocks:

100 year old Sid Cojac of Atlanta plays pickle ball twice a week and works out the other 5 days of the week.

Seniors are starting second careers as personal trainers. The percentage of people over age 55 attending a personal training conference sponsored by IDEA Health & Fitness Association, a worldwide organization of fitness professionals, more than doubled from 2004 to 2011 — up to nearly 11 percent from 5 percent.

71 year old Annette Larkin of Florida has astounded people with her agelessness, looks 40 and credits raw food and a meatless diet with her amazing health.

If you are just getting started or contemplating getting started with a workout plan, keep it simple and manageable and focus on the four building blocks of fitness to get you over those roadblocks:

Breathe! Take just 30 minutes a day to participate in an activity that makes you breathe hard. This increases your endurance and cardio levels. It just has to be intense enough to raise your heart rate, but not so intense that you can’t hold a conversation while doing it.

Build muscles! Any kind of strength training with weights, exercise bands, kettle balls, or suspension training with your won body weight will build muscle. This also builds bone density and balance; all of which reduces your risk of falls.

Get Balanced! Core fitness is a phrase all of us have heard about. This popular fitness approach revolves around exercises that challenge your balance and core stability. No gym is needed to do balance training activities. Brush your teeth standing on one leg, raising the other slowly and you will increase your balance and core stability.

Stretch and Flexibility! As each year passes, we are all losing flexibility unless we are actively doing something about it. Flexibility and balance are closely related. Your balance is helped as you gain flexibility. Regular stretching gives you more freedom of movement and reduces muscle soreness and possible injuries from exercise.

Once your fitness plan includes the four basics, the sky is the limit to what you want to do and where you want your new life of fitness to take you.

OK, now it’s time for honesty. I do not love spinning the way I love yoga. But I see it as a necessary evil. Before Live Love Flow, I operated a yoga studio for 3.5 years that offered just yoga (Mountain Flow Yoga in Madrona). Yoga all by itself was never quite enough for me. I had a spin bike at home, which I used often and I ran to keep the cardio conditioning up. As mountain biking is the second greatest love of my life, just behind yoga, the addition of a spin studio seemed logical. If I lived somewhere that riding 3-5 days a week up big hills on the dirt was a possibility, you might not find me in the spin studio. But since I have to hoof it up to the mountains with my bike packed away in the car, that’s just too many hours out of the day. So you’ll find me in the spin studio a lot! And don’t get me wrong. I LOVE the music, I LOVE the energy, I appreciate the intensity and therefore the efficiency. And well, it does make me feel AMAZING!

Spinning is an amazing way for people who are getting older to start or complement a fitness routine:

When you’re inside on a stationary bike, you’re not going to fall or get hit by a car. There’s very minimal risk of needing a hip replacement from falling!

When the bike is ridden in the ergonomically correct way, there’s zero impact on the joints and it keeps them lubricated by using them.

Spinning increases serotonin and endorphins so we feel amazing.

The ticker needs that cardio conditioning.

One of the leading contributors to aging is the decrease in production of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Don’t get a shot; you can become dependent and stop making your own naturally. But DO high intensity interval training – we do a ton in spinning. ”High intensity burst training in which one’s heart rate bursts above their anaerobic threshold (best established by VO2 max testing) for 30 second intervals five or more times in a workout. This engages super-fast twitch muscle fibers, which release HGH naturally.”

You can really go at your own pace. The teacher will set a cadence and a gear; if it’s too hard, scale back. No one’s pressuring you; it’s your ride!

So my number one goal in life is not to be super fit, super fast or super awesome on the bike. It’s to be super conscious, super awake, super alive, FREE and vibrant. I’ve wrapped my brain around how spinning supports this for me.

As we’re riding, the mind puts up a lot of resistance: it’s really HARD in the class, so the noisy mind loves to complain, to pull us onto the path of least resistance, to bitch and moan. I see spinning as an amazing opportunity to “shush” that part of my mind. If I can cultivate equanimity to that suffering and silence the mental bulls*#t to face the challenge, I win!

Spinning also teaches an amazing lesson about transcending/transmuting our drama and our trauma. I don’t want to scare anyone, but I don’t want to minimize how hard we work in there; it’s kind of nuts! However, the minute we walk out of the room we feel AMAZING and we put the story of the ride and all of the suffering it evoked into the past where it belongs. We don’t relive the ride over and over and over again the way we do everything else that hurts, i.e. heart-ache, legal battles, neglect, addiction, being “wronged” by another, failure, embarrassment, suffering etc. Nope, we hop off the bike an we pop that ride into the past.

Now THAT’s a powerful lesson in movin’ right on through, moving higher and increasing consciousness.

I do think that anyone who’s using just the spin side of the studio is missing the whole point of Live Love Flow, but heck, they’re welcome and maybe the energy that’s being created in that amazing space, sincerely dedicated to evolving consciousness will seep into their field and we’ll find them in the yoga studio.

We all know that the number one way to keep and improve your brain functions is to stay active. However, various nutrients and supplements have been linked with healthy brain function and are important to consider as we start to age.

Americans spend over $14 billion on supplements each year, so it is important to make sure your supplement $’s truly providing benefit to you and worth that additional expense.

First of all, it is important to understand that supplements containing botanical ingredients are known to be very effective when taken in the correct dosage and are at the claimed and beneficial potency level. The FDA does not regulate these. This is not to say that FDA approval or lack thereof is a guarantee. By nature, it is not possible to fully regulate botanical extracts since it is not an exact science.

That leaves it up to you as the consumer to do your research on the companies’ selling your supplements. Also make sure you understand proper efficacy and potency, and shelf life of certain supplements. It does take a little more time, but it is time well spent when you better understand what to look for and what to avoid when spending your supplement $’s.

Also be aware that while many supplements are a great answer for various health issues and concerns, they can interact negatively with other medications. Don’t be fooled into thinking they are harmless just because they are over the counter and/or natural. Talk with your doctor or other health professional to be sure there will be no negative interactions or side effects.

So which supplements are important to consider for brain function: Here are a few to look at to start with:

Bottom line is to keep your natural diet high in all of the above, but backing it up with high quality supplements targeting the elements noted will benefit you greatly in this adventure we are all in as we experience the second 50 of life.

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